


one day at a time

by liddie



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Hunk & Lance are therapists, M/M, One Shot, Shance Support Week 2018, Shiro is getting used to his new arm
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-30
Updated: 2018-03-30
Packaged: 2019-04-14 18:27:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 773
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14141931
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/liddie/pseuds/liddie





	one day at a time

Lance pauses on his walk past the large glass windows of the main physical therapy room. The single occupant inside sits on a bench beside the weight lifting equipment, head buried in a pair of mismatched hands. 

Swiping his keycard Lance opens the door and steps inside. He wanders over and takes a seat next to Shiro, stretching his long legs out in front of himself. “Hey, you’re still here?”

“Yeah” Shiro drops his hands into his lap and looks up at the empty room, eyes flicking toward the clock on the far wall. Sweat beads at his hairline and his gray shirt sticks to the damp skin along his spine. “Just trying to get an extra workout in.”

It’s not his usual therapy day. Hunk is off today so Shiro doesn’t have a scheduled session but like everyone else who comes here he’s more than welcome to use the equipment and rooms the facility provides for workouts and exercises outside of the usual scheduled training.

Nodding his head Lance watches Shiro for a moment. His shoulders are tense and the fingers of his prosthetic keep curling and uncurling. “I’ve finished up for the day. Want some company?” Lance asks softly, heels dragging on the floor as sits up straight. There are dark smudges beneath Shiro’s eyes that Lance knows are from nightmares and sleepless nights, all that restless energy still building beneath his skin. “Or,” he says, turning his body and swinging a leg over the bench to straddle it. “We could go grab something to eat?”

Shiro is quiet, his gaze having dropped back to the hands in his lap. Stark silver metal capped with bits of thin black rubber stand out against pale skin mottled with scars. “I just,” Shiro clenches his metal hand, as if trying to make it smaller or easier to hide its differences.

“Hey.” Lance scoots a little closer, his knee bumping against the side of Shiro’s. Reaching out he taps at the metal of Shiro’s wrist and his hand uncurls enough for Lance to slide his palm against Shiro’s, warm skin against cool metal. Curling his hand Lance laces their fingers together. “Whatever’s bothering you, let me help?”

“It’s still so different,” Shiro murmurs as he stares at the contrast between their hands. The tech is state-of-the-art and the soft mechanical hum of it reminds Lance of a steady heartbeat.

“It is,” Lance agrees, resting the side of his head on Shiro’s shoulder. “But see, I can hold this hand just as easily as your other one. So that’s the same, right?” The smile in his voice intertwines with the confidence of his statement, his hand squeezing Shiro’s encouragingly. He’s not bothered by the prosthetic in the least, he wasn’t the day he met Shiro all those months ago and he isn’t now, even after experiencing both the good and bad days that come along with it. “And you’re still getting used to it, there’s no time limit. We’re taking one day at a time.“

Shiro exhales a soft sigh and knocks his knee gently against Lance’s. “Yeah, you’re right.” Hesitating for a few seconds he gently slides his thumb across the back of Lance’s and over the small scar there. “Thanks.” 

“You don’t have to thank me.” Smiling softly Lance lifts his head and presses a kiss to the ball of Shiro’s shoulder. “So now that that’s settled, how about we grab some dinner?“

Shiro’s eyes flick to the weight lifting equipment, his metal digits twitching between Lance’s human ones. The indecisiveness is almost answer enough.

“Do you think you’ve had enough for today?“ Lance hums when his gaze follows Shiro’s. “If you’re too tense and sore tomorrow Hunk will be the first to nag me about it.” Lance lifts their hands and kisses the metal of Shiro’s fingers before giving them a squeeze. “Come on, let’s go to my place. I’ve got to have something in the fridge we can heat up.”

Looking away from the weights Shiro settles on Lance. “Yeah, sounds good.” 

Lance gets to his feet and pulls Shiro up, walking hand-in-hand with him toward the locker rooms while debating the pros and cons of garlic knots versus breadsticks.

They stop outside the large doorway and Shiro smiles when Lance keeps talking, his free hand gesturing wildly to accentuate his point of garlic knots being superior. Shiro leans in to kiss Lance’s cheek and it quiets him abruptly, Shiro untangling their hands so he can go change. “I’ll be out in ten minutes.”

Offering Shiro a smile Lance nods and leans back against the wall. “Okay, I’ll be right here.“


End file.
